Laparoscopic Surgery: A View From the Head of the Table

Impressive advances in laparoscopic surgical technique have taken place, especially since the late 1980s. These developments have motivated patients as well as surgeons, institutions, and payers; accordingly, the variety and frequency of these procedures have vastly increased. In the rush to expand the frontiers of laparoscopic surgery, we must not lose sight of the potential pitfalls resulting either from the physiological effects of the procedure itself or from the influence of underlying disease processes.